Metal Music Meets Outrage: Behemoth’s Bengaluru Show Axed Amid Threats, Fans Left Reeling

“Disappointed,” says Shahnur Sheikh, a Behemoth fan from Assam, summing up the mood of many across India after the Polish extreme metal band canceled its much-anticipated Bengaluru concert.

Like Sheikh, fans from different parts of the country took to social media to express frustration and heartbreak over the news. For many, the show was a rare opportunity to see the influential metal act live, nearly a decade after their last performance in India.

Behemoth called off the March 3, 2026 concert, part of their Chant of the Eastern Lands tour, citing numerous credible threats from religious Christian groups. The band announced the decision on social media, confirming they would not be returning to India for the tour. The Bengaluru date marks the third cancellation on the run, following the abrupt scrapping of shows in Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey, on February 11 and 12, 2026, due to similar complaints.

Behemoth, who last performed in India in Hyderabad in 2016, said in a statement, “Behemoth regret to announce the cancellation of the band’s scheduled performance on March 3 in Bangalore, India. Over the past few weeks, we and our team have received numerous credible threats stemming from religious Christian groups who have been applying pressure to authorities and to the promoter in an effort to stop the show from taking place. These threats have raised serious concerns regarding the band’s safety and security, including the possibility of arrest or physical danger.”

The band added: “This is another example of religious fanaticism attempting to impose itself on artistic expression, something the band has recently faced in Turkey. It is deeply concerning to see what feels like a growing movement toward censorship around the world. In this modern age, artists should not face intimidation, threats, or the risk of imprisonment for performing their art. To our legions in India, we are deeply disappointed that we will not be able to perform for you on this occasion. We appreciate your support and hope to return soon.

Stay strong. Stay free.”

The imagery, music and art style of Behemoth and the extreme metal genre in general are often compared to satanism and other anti-christ elements.

Black metal music often incorporates Satanism and occult themes as artistic expression, shock value, or ideological opposition to traditional religion, rather than universal literal worship. Originating from blues and early heavy metal (e.g., Black Sabbath, Venom), this connection grew to symbolize rebellion, anti-Christian values, and, in genres like black metal, a serious exploration of occultist or theistic Satanism. The genre made global headlines when in early 1990s, news of church burnings appeared in Norway and other Scandinavian countries. Members of several bands like Mayhem, Burzum and others were associated in these burnings, which eventually became a major force of attraction for other rising bands in the genre.

In Behemoth’s case, in May 2025, Adam Nergal Darski or Nergal, said that the band feels happy and rewarding to make music about satanism and fulfilling the message of the genre. “It is rewarding, to be able to do and to complete and fulfill the division that we have always been thriving to achieve. And I believe there is room for more and we will keep pushing,” Nergal said in an interview with Metal Injection.